Impact Features

Abstract

A vehicle platform with a variety of impact safety features including front and rear impact features as well as side impact features designed to protect the passenger compartment as well as the battery compartment and vehicle chassis components. Some features may include crumple zone components, deflectors and modular energy absorption units.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional application 62 / 869,823 filed on Jul. 2, 2019, the disclosure of which is included herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to the safety features often related to vehicles, and more specifically to impact energy absorption structures for use in vehicles that can be tuned and / or adjusted to account for a number of different vehicle configurations.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Automobile vehicles may generally be described in relation to a body or cabin, which are designed to enclose the passengers, and the various electrical, mechanical and structural systems, subsystems and components that allow the vehicle to operate. Often hidden behind the functional features of an automobile are a number of safety features designed to allow for the safe operation of the vehicle as well as to prevent the vehicle framework from intruding on the p...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a frame structure that can absorb impact energy by using support elements that move towards each other when exposed to impact force. This reduces the amount of impact energy distributed to other components of the frame structure. The dimensions of the hollow structural containers can also be adjusted to account for higher or lower levels of impact energy absorption. The technical effect of this patent is to provide a frame structure that can better protect sensitive components from impact damage.

Problems solved by technology

The numerous interconnections between the body and the functional components of a vehicle create a number of manufacturing and design inefficiencies, specifically related to the complexity of safety features necessary for the functionality of the vehicle.

Additionally, any changes to the vehicle design can potentially affect the underlying safety of the vehicle for the occupants.

Additionally, the integration of different vehicle bodies on a generic vehicle platform can create a number of issues not readily anticipated in traditional vehicle design.

However, traditional design would not allow for an SUV body to be placed on a sedan frame and still maintain the desired level of safety for the occupants because the additional load of an SUV would alter the functionality of the sedan frame.

However, despite the many advantages, many manufacturers still maintain the design elements of the past resulting in the same inefficiencies in the design and functionality of the safety systems and components.

Images